Your iPhone has four built-in ways to remind you of something: the Reminders app, Siri, Calendar alerts and Clock alarms. Each is good at a different job. Here is how to set each one up in under a minute, why reminders still get missed, and what to do for the ones you really cannot afford to miss.
The short version: use Siri or the Reminders app for to-dos, Calendar alerts for appointments, an alarm when you need something that keeps ringing, and a phone call reminder for meetings and appointments that matter.
1. Set a Reminder in the Reminders App
Best for to-dos with a deadline: pay a bill, call the plumber, renew a prescription.
Open Reminders and tap New Reminder at the bottom of a list.
Type what you need to remember. Make it specific: "Call Dr. Patel's office to reschedule" beats "dentist".
Tap the info button next to the reminder and turn on Date and Time. A reminder with a date but no time only nudges you once that day, which is easy to miss.
Optional: add an Early Reminder (on recent iOS versions), set it to Repeat, or mark it as flagged or high priority. Tap Done.
2. Ask Siri to Remind You
The fastest method, and the one you will actually use while your hands are full. Siri saves the reminder into the Reminders app for you.
- "Remind me to call Mum at 6pm."
- "Remind me to take my medication every day at 8am."
- "Remind me to buy milk when I leave work." (location-based, needs Location Services for Reminders)
- "Remind me about this in an hour." (while looking at a web page, email or message)
Tip: say a time, not just a day. "Remind me tomorrow" can fire at a time that does not suit you; "remind me tomorrow at 9:15" fires when you can act.
3. Add Calendar Alerts for Appointments
Appointments belong in Calendar, not Reminders, because they have a start time, a place and often a video link.
Per event: when creating or editing an event in Calendar, tap Alert and pick a time, then add a Second Alert. A good pair is one the day before and one timed to when you need to leave or join.
For every event: open Settings, then Calendar (under Apps on newer iOS versions), then Default Alert Times, and choose an alert for Events. New events then get it automatically.
Travel time: for events with an address, turn on Travel Time so the alert accounts for the journey.
4. Use an Alarm When It Has to Keep Ringing
Reminders and Calendar alerts play one short sound. If you need something that keeps ringing until you stop it, open the Clock app, tap Alarms, tap + and add a Label such as "Leave for school pickup". The downside: alarms are not tied to your calendar, so when a meeting moves, the alarm does not.
Which iPhone Reminder Should You Use?
| Best for | Keeps ringing? | Follows calendar changes? | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reminders app / Siri | To-dos, errands, repeats | No, one alert | No |
| Calendar alert | Appointments and meetings | No, one alert | Yes |
| Clock alarm | Fixed wake-up or leave times | Yes | No |
| Remindavo call | Meetings and appointments you cannot miss | Yes, rings like a call | Yes |
Why iPhone Reminders Still Get Missed
- Focus or Silent mode. Work, Sleep and Do Not Disturb Focus modes can hold back notifications. In Settings > Focus, open your Focus and allow Reminders and Calendar, or turn on Time Sensitive notifications.
- Notifications set to deliver quietly. Check Settings > Notifications > Reminders (and Calendar) and make sure alerts, sounds and lock screen banners are on.
- The banner gets swiped away. A notification that arrives while you are typing or on a call is gone in a second, often unread.
- Phone face down, in a bag or across the room. One short sound is easy not to hear.
- Reminders scattered across apps. Some in Reminders, some in Google Calendar, some in Outlook. More places means more gaps. Our guide on why calendar notifications fail goes deeper.
Get a Phone Call Instead of a Notification
For the meetings and appointments that matter, a ringing phone works where a banner does not. Remindavo connects to Google Calendar or Outlook and rings your iPhone before each event, with a voice that reads the event name, for example "Client call with Sarah in 10 minutes". If you use Apple Calendar with iCloud, see how to get phone call reminders for Apple Calendar.
Download the Remindavo iPhone app and sign in with Apple, Google or Microsoft.
Connect your calendar. Every timed event gets a reminder automatically, including ones you add or move later.
Choose how early you want the call and verify your phone number so a real phone call follows if the app alert goes unanswered.
The free plan includes 5 real reminder calls or 14 days, whichever comes first, with no credit card. App alerts stay free after that, and Premium is $10 a month for unlimited calls. Struggle with time blindness? Read our ADHD reminder app guide, or nine ways to stop forgetting appointments.